


Almost Home

by goldengoddess



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, me at my own damn fic: JUST KISS ALREADY, ur classic what did they do on that 6 month hiking vacation fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 13:33:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13591113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldengoddess/pseuds/goldengoddess
Summary: What’s the matter with you?Ling asked.“What d’you mean?” Greed muttered, not loud enough for the others to hear.My heart is racing. Am I getting sick?“Shut up, idiot, you’re fine.”





	Almost Home

**Author's Note:**

> hi i love fullmetal alchemist, and ling, and greed, and ed, and being gay, and like, writing self indulgent fanfic, and making playlists for characters that are like. comprised entirely of carly rae jepsen and or the mountain goats

Xing seemed like a distant memory standing here, in the purgatory of Gluttony’s stomach. Ling watched in abject horror as Ed’s limp body was lifted from the pool of blood and enveloped in Envy’s tongue. Why had he done this? How had it come to this? Why had he had to have gone and- “ _ Edward!”  _ Ling yelled, regaining his sense. The beast laughed and the last of Ed’s boot disappeared. Ling dropped down on Envy’s foot and heaved through the bodies with his blade. The blade with the trashy skulls- the one Ed had made. 

“Edward!” he yelled again, begging any higher being out there to help. Envy’s bloodied limb swiped at him, and Ling went flying. “ _ Ed! _ ”

The monster stopped. 

Ling spat out the blood in his mouth as something happened in Envy’s head. Without warning, Ed fell from it’s mouth into the blood with a splash.

“Make it quick, kid.”

 

…

 

They had bumped fists. Ed had been healed. Alphonse was there. Their father- no, not their father. Ling was being crushed by Gluttony and all Ed could see when he looked back on the memory was the white’s of Ling’s eyes as he writhed under the homunculus. 

 

…

 

The last time Ed stepped into fresh clean clothes was before the trip to Briggs. In other words, they were nearing two months. Sure he had rinsed once piece at a time, but he felt utterly disgusting. Is this how fugitives lived? If Ed had not already had his life dedicated to a singular cause, this moment would’ve made him repent and promise to never break a law again. But Darius- oh how Ed loved Darius for this- said they were approaching upon his hometown, a small village in the East, he also mentioned he could get some laundry done.

“I know alchemists aren’t allowed to make gold but-” Ed said as they stood before a small house.

“Don’t finish that sentence.” Darius said. He knocked on the wooden door, maybe a little too loud, and stepped back.

In a few moments, the door opened up gently, and a small women appeared. “Hello?”

Darius looked at her, his breathing tense. Greed and Ed shared a glance. “Mary Penn, right?”

“Yes, that’s me,” She said with a more confident smile, tucking a rag she had in her hand into her apron. “Can I help you?”

“Is Joseph home?”

“Oh, no, Joseph-” she frowned, “can I ask your names?”

Ed sat in the wooden chair next to the dining table, Greed leaning against the wall, and Heinkel across the room. The house was quaint, with old shiplap walls and matching wood floors. Photos hung, unframed, along the front room, and the kitchen table was covered in Mary’s sewing. “It’s been a few years.” Darius replied when Mary asked how long since he had seen Joseph.

“Mr. Dee, I’m sorry, but Joseph died after he came back from Ishval.” she said, and then added, “It was gangrene.”

Ed shuddered. Although his amputations had been clean and well cared for, not everyone was so lucky. Darius had had his hand on his chin, but it fell to his side when he heard. “I’m so sorry.” he said.

Mary sighed, “there wasn’t much we could do about it. But don’t worry yourself, it’s very sweet of you to come by and say hello. Would you like dinner while you’re in town?”

 

“I thought we were just getting our laundry done.” Ed said after nightfall as they sat in the chairs behind Mary’s house. “Not bothering some widow into doing it for us.”

Ed was in pants that were too big for him and a white blouse that was a little too frilly for his taste. But it’s what she had had, and he wasn’t about to push her anymore. 

“Take it or leave it.” Greed muttered, also fashioned in some outdated clothing. 

“I mean, whose even ordering this stuff from her?” he held out his arms and let the ruffles drop down.

“It’s just cheesy enough for you.” he said. “How long are we even staying here?”

Ed looked up at the night sky, the stars far more bright here than back in Eastern City or Central. They had been running for awhile now, and he was all for it. But maybe he could use a night’s rest on an actual clean mattress. And those clothes, he was ready for his clean clothes. He looked over at Greed and stilled. 

Ed had thought at first it was easy to tell the difference between the two, Greed and Ling. Greed walked with more jaunt, he’d brush Ling’s stray hair back, he’s slouch. Ling, on the other hand, kept a princely straight back and that smile pasted on at all times. But now, even just a few weeks after the- the incident- now Greed would hold his back straight, Ling would lean forward, frown when he was in control. Ed wasn’t sure who he was looking at.

“Like the view?” He took it back, maybe it was easy to tell who was who.

“Do you really not have any memory of your past life?” Ed asked.

Greed’s incredulous smile faltered. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“I would, yeah.”

Greed rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “Mm, nope.”

“Nothing?”

“Nah,”

It was Ed’s turn to roll his eyes, “You’re a stubborn bitch, you know that?”

“Same to you.”

“Hey, Greed,”

“Mhm.”

“Is Ling in there?” he asked.

Greed looked over at him, and in the darkness they reflected in just the same manner as Ling’s had months before. “What, you trying to page him?”

Ed didn’t know what he was trying to do. He stood up, for once taller than Ling, and said, “Just making sure you didn’t off him or anything.” he hoped that Ling was telling him,  _ Don’t underestimate me! _ Or anything, really. It had been too long since Ling showed up. 

“Sure, buddy.” Greed had said before Ed left the back porch.

 

…

Ed couldn’t sleep. Normally, Ed was just about as good of a sleeper as one could get. He’d sleep anywhere, on anything, in any position, but tonight, he laid in Mary’s spare bed, staring at the ceiling. 

He should’ve offered the mattress to one of the men, he groaned, rolling over, or at least tried to share it. Well, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that last option was not great. At least he could’ve let Ling on it. Back in Resembol, Al and Ed had always shared a bed, and he hardly ever rolled in his sleep. 

Ed stood up and untangled him from the sheets. He creeped out of the tiny bedroom and down the hall, stopping when he heard voices coming from just around the corner, where the room was lit by the fire.

“Can you hand me- oh, thank you.”

“‘Course.”

“My girlfriend was from there too, she wasn’t an alchemist, either. But her sister had studied lots, and I was rather impressed.”

“Ah, we don’t need alchemy, though, right?”

The voice laughed, it was Mary. “No, you’re right, can’t hem pants with alchemy!”

Actually, Ed thought, you can.

The other voice laughed loud, and Ed could picture the face it came from. Ling. He stepped forward, about to turn the corner, before Mary’s voice came again.

“Joseph was studying alchemy.” she said, softer this time, “He had dabbled with it when he was young, but his grandfather discouraged him, religious type. He made our rings, aren’t they beautiful?”

He could see Mary’s hand extend, a shiny band around her finger. 

“But it’s gold, you know.” her voice went even quiet, “He was threatened. Joined the military to get out of town, and then, well.” she said, “Ishval.”

Ling made a small noise. 

“He loved you, didn’t he.”

“So much. I tried to love him more, but…”

Ed stepped forward into the room. Mary was sitting in chair with a small fold out table before her, Ling sitting on a couch with someone’s shirt on his lap. 

“Sorry, am I-”

“No, no, come sit down, you can’t sleep?” Mary said, wiping her cheeks with her sleeve. Ed shuffled over to Ling and sat down on the other side of the couch. “Edward Elric, right? You’re military too, but you’re so young.” 

“I’m sorry, I heard.”

Mary looked shocked for a moment, then looked away. “It’s not a secret, I suppose.”

“I lost two people in the war too, they were like my aunt and uncle.”

“Oh,” Mary said, with an awful look on her face, “You’re too young for this kind of- this kind of sorrow.”

Ed looked to Ling, who had stayed silent during the exchange. He seemed out of it, like he was staring at nothing, but with a kind of intensity that was troubling. Out of nowhere, he grabbed his head, pulling himself down between his legs. This only happened when he was losing control. Ed didn’t know what to do.

“Darling-” Mary said, dropping her sewing as she stood up in shock.

“No- no- I’m-” Ling grit out, “I’m fine, I just-”

Ed thought quick. There was no way of explaining it plain and simple, so he started, “Seizures, he can feel them coming on-” Ed lied for him. “I’m not sleeping anyways tonight, here,” he said as he helped Ling up, holding on to him as Mary watched, hand over her mouth. 

He led Ling down the hallway, walking underneath his weight. “Sorry-” Ling muttered as Ed closed the door. 

“Don’t apologize.” He leaned over, letting Ling drop down onto the bed, breathing heavily. “There’ll be other times, reserve your energy.”

Ling’s eyes flashed to him, “Are you telling me not to get worked up over small things?”. He looked awful, if Ed was honest. His hair was messy and his eyes looked like he hadn’t caught a wink of sleep in at least a month. But a smile broke on his face and Ed remembered how resilient he was. 

“Ha, ha, I get it.” he leaned against the door, half of his body bathed in moonlight. Ed followed the blue line down onto the floor, across the room, and then up Ling’s leg, all the way to his face, similarly half illuminated and half not. It was strange to think they had known each other for so long now, almost a year. It seemed like just yesterday Ling was trying to swindle food from them. 

“Are you lonely?” Ling asked. He wasn’t looking at Ed. Instead, his eyes were trained to the folded bed sheets on the chair in the corner of the room, down and away from him.

“Sure.” Ed said. “Aren’t you?”

“I don’t know.” 

Before he could control himself, Ed had taken a step forward, pulling himself off of the wall and- he stopped before he made it to the bed. Ling’s head had turned to him, and he looked strange, like he finally looked fifteen, like he was a child, just like Ed. “You have people who are waiting for you.”

“You do too.”

In his mind, he saw a ghost image of his hand moving towards Ling’s face. But he felt nothing, no movement. Ed’s heart was racing, but he couldn’t figure out why. He ripped his eyes away from Ling and focused on the night sky outside. “If the homunculus hasn’t taken over, maybe it’s a sign you should try and sleep for once.”

There was silence for a moment, and then the thump of Ling falling backwards onto the bed. “You’re right.” he said, “Close the door for me when you leave.”

Ed backed away, feeling a sense of discomfort, before leaving the room. He shut the door quietly, waiting for a click before walking slowly down the hall. In the front room, Mary sat, looking into the fire. At the sound of Ed’s footsteps, she turned to him. “Is he well?”

“Yeah, he’s alright now, just sleeping.”

“Thank God.”

 

…

 

Weeks later, Ed watched Greed with something like discomfort in his chest. He was sitting on a tree stump in the middle of a meadow, cutting something up with a knife. They had set traps up in the forest for food, but homunculus didn’t need to eat. This kind of action usually meant Ling was in charge, but there was something about the intensity of his movements that made Ed know it was Greed. 

Ling’s shoulders were loose, his back only slightly bent forward, Heinkel’s knife in his left hand, pulling towards Ling, thumb out as a guard. There was blood on his right hand, not unusual for them, but so little of it was smeared on him that Ed couldn’t help but wonder where he had done this before. 

“You gonna stare or help?” Greed’s voice said. He pulled Ling’s lose hair over his shoulder, still working without looking up.

“You sure you need help?”

His head turned, almost in slow motion, and the pain in his chest swelled. He wanted to remark on using knives without putting his hair up, but the words didn’t come. 

There was a smile on Ling’s face, and for a split second, it wasn’t Greed’s.

“You’re right, you’d just get in the way.”

 

…

 

Ed was bleeding, bad. Heinkel was carrying him towards a newly abandoned ranch house, the rain pouring down like the end times. It almost was end times, Ling thought gravely. Greed was taking them beside the two chimeras, watching Ed out of the corner of his eyes, strangely on edge.

_ What’s the matter with you?  _ Ling asked.

“What d’you mean?” Greed muttered, not loud enough for the others to hear.

_ My heart is racing. Am I getting sick? _

“Shut up, idiot, you’re fine.”

Ed seized in his unconsciousness, all his muscles tightening up for a second. 

_ Are you worried about him? _

“As if.”

_ Hm.  _

The front room of the house was waterlogged, the old shiplap warping out of place. The slightest breeze would’ve toppled it like a house of cards. But down the hall, past the bedroom and into the master, the rest of the house appeared just as the previous owners had left it, before whatever it was had destroyed the front half.

“Sorry, buddy.” Darius said as he took off Ed’s jacket to cover the bed.

There had been a fight. Ed had gone and blown up a building and seriously injured a man, and in return, had suffered. At first nothing seemed wrong, Ed was stumbling backwards from the explosion, and then Ling saw it- the wet dark patch on the side of his jacket. Ed’s body toppled down onto the ground, his hands clutching at his chest, where he had been impaled a month earlier. 

_ Wasn’t even the military either.  _ Ling thought. If he died now- well, he’d think about that later. 

 

Hours passed and Ed was quietly asleep. They would need to take him to a doctor, somewhere, somehow, but the bleeding had stopped for the most part. Until Ed woke up, there was nothing but tight bandages to keep his organs inside his body. But he was sleeping regularly now, his chest rising and falling with only the smallest sound.

“Don’t die, Elric.” Darius had said.

_ Don’t die, Edward.  _ Ling had thought.

Greed had stood in the doorway while Ed was being bound with fabric scraps. He had stood there while the other men left. It had been almost two hours, and Ling could feel his body grow tired, even if Greed was not.  _ Let’s rest _ . Ling suggested, with no response.  _ It’s pitch black in here, let’s sit down for a bit.  _

_ Greed. _

“What.”

_ If he wakes up he’ll think- _

“Ling?” a voice came out from across the room. 

Ling let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Yeah, Edward?” Greed said.

Ling frowned,  _ Hey, what’re- _

Ed sighed slowly, his breath whistling through him. “I’m glad it’s you.” he said, parsing out his words.

Ling waited for Greed to respond. If he was going to pretend to be Ling, he’d- he’d- well, he didn’t know what he could do in this position. But Greed didn’t respond, instead he walked over to the side of the bed, watching Ed’s tired gaze follow them. “Probably should take it easy after being impaled, I guess.” Ed tried to laugh, only to wheeze instead. 

_ Probably shouldn’t be such a-  _ “-headstrong idiot.” Ling almost gasped- the words had come out of his physical mouth. “God.” he said to Greed, but got no response again.

“Whaddya say about me?” Ed said a little too fast, sending himself into a coughing fit. 

“Hey- hey, now, no dying!” Ling waved his hands.

Ed controlled his breathing and closed his eyes, his hands on his chest. Ling wondered how Ed was still alive. It seemed like he was being beaten up every day of his life, and he had admitted to knowing barely any medical alchemy. 

_ It’s that stupid personality.  _ Greed mumbled,  _ The whole ‘I’ll stay alive for my friends and family’ shtick.  _ Ling could tell he was batting his eyes. 

“It’s cold.” Ed muttered, doing a half roll to his side before turning back onto his back.

Somewhere deep in a hidden corner of his mind an idea appeared. A tiny, stupid, but incorrigible idea. 

_ Aw, how cute.  _ Greed said.  _ Actually, I take it back if I have to be here for it.  _

“Shut up.” Ling muttered to Greed.

Ed’s eyes opened, just barely glimmering in the dark. The idea was accompanied by his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Ling touched the bed sheet, and slipped under it, soundlessly, lying next to Ed, on his side.

Maybe it  _ was  _ a bad idea, Ed wasn’t saying anything, and he was still in his shoes, under the cover. But then Ed’s head shifted over a fraction of an inch, towards him, and his eyes closed. “How long are you there, Ling?” Ed asked.

“I think Greed might let me sleep for once.”

_ I will not let you-  _

“He’s going to let me sleep.”

_ Damn you. _

“Okay.” Ed said, his face far too close to Ling’s.

“Okay, this is okay?”

“Yeah, it’s alright.” Ed said, “Not bad. Good.”

Ling laughed, and Ed laughed too.

Ed seemed calm for once, not introspective, not angry, but tranquil. The thought that had led him to lie down turned into another idea. If he just moved in- only a little bit more- he could kiss him, Ling thought, he really could. He thought of holding his hand, or brushing Ed’s stray hair away, but something took ahold of him. Ed had other responsibilities, and so did he. Besides, he reasoned, they were friends and he liked that. He was friends with Ed’s friends and he liked that too. Ed had a circle of people who already liked him, loved him even, and Ling couldn’t- he couldn’t just take that all away from him. 

_ You won’t do that, you know. _

Ling said nothing.

_ You want to, so why not? _

“Because-!” he stopped himself before he could go further.

_ You’re useless. _

Ed’s eyes opened. “Are you talking with him?”

Ling nodded. 

“Is he noisy?”

“So noisy.”

_ Hey!  _

“Tell him to shut up.” Ed said, “We’re sleeping.”

“Yeah, shut up, we’re sleeping.”

He could almost feel in his lungs the groan Greed made.

“Well, then, goodnight.” Ed said, stiffly. He was looking away from Ling now, unreadable look on his face. 

“Okay, goodnight, Edward.”

 

Ling woke first, and for a moment, he was in his body, looking at Ed in the morning light. His hair was glowing in the sun, the freckles on the bridge of his nose visible at such close view. Ed did a tiny stretch in his sleep, and Ling realized Ed’s arm was laying across his chest. He wished the moment could last forever, that they were in Ed’s home, or back in Xing, or anywhere but in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. With that thought, the warmth of the bed left Ling, and he was getting up, and walking out, not of his own volition. 

“Huh?” Ed mumbled, squinting up out of the bed.

“Morning.” Greed said.

 

…

 

There had been a fire, and Ed had seen his house burning. The bottom floor went first, the second floor tumbling down on top of the new rubble, hitting the tree with such force Ed thought the ground would crumble next. Al had grabbed his hand, squeezing on his automail, where it was safe to hold impossibly tight. As the first leaves of the tree caught flame, Ed heard a wail from within the building. It grew louder as the smoke swelled from the earth, until it was unbearable, until he closed his eyes against the noise. But it was no use, the crying was all consuming. The screaming tore at his throat, like he was yelling too, like-

Ed shot up out of his sleep, panting heavily. 

Everything was alright, all seemed fine. Darius and Heinkel were asleep by the dying fire pit they had made that evening, and Ed was still mostly intact. He placed a hand over his heart and tried to slow his breathing. A nightmare, all it had been was a nightmare. There was no crying in the rubble of their house, no lost spirits, just Ed and Al, standing safely outside in his memory. Ed looked up.

Sitting adjacent to him, staring into the embers, was Greed. Still short of breath, Ed watched him. How many times had he caught Greed being so pensive recently? He looked up.

“Bad dream?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

There was a pause, “Hm, how lucky am I to not need sleep?”

“Pretty.”

Greed smirked, and looked back into the fire. “You’re right.” he said and then, “You have a good friend, kid.”

Ed frowned, “Yeah? Who?”

“My buddy here’s heart was thumping when you started mumbling in your sleep. You were saying stuff about your house, your brother, you know.”

Ed looked away too, still recovering from the dream too. “Did he say anything?” Ed asked after a moment.

Greed laughed a small laugh, but didn’t reply.

“What’d he say, Greed?” Ed frowned.

“Why should I tell you?”

Ed groaned, “Don’t you think you’re being a little rude?”

“What, are you gonna mutiny?” 

“No! I just-”

“Just what?”

“You’re a piece of shit, you know that?”

Greed smiled, “And you’re a little bastard.”

“Don’t call me that!” he almost yelled. Ed looked over at the men sleeping and shook his head. “Fine, don’t tell me. Ling’ll tell me another time.” he said, making the grin on Greed’s face grow bigger. “Go on a walk or something, creep.”

 

…

 

Enough running, Ed had said, it was time to go to Resembol. Ling was ready to get going again, after six months of a nomadic lifestyle, he was ready to be in a town again. No more canned food, no more staying up every night, it was time for business. In a way, he’d miss traveling like this, being around Ed every day, even if they were being chaperoned by ex-military and accompanied by Ling’s ticket into the monarchy. 

“Very sweet, kid.” Greed said.

_ Thanks, I try.  _

“It’s cute you’re breaking up with him.”

_ Thanks, I’d kill you given the opportunity. _

“Aw, we both know that won’t happen.”

_ You’re right, but that doesn’t mean I don’t resent that fact. _

Greed had been in a good mood too. His talk of ruling the world was coming closer to fruition, and for that, he was being awfully nice to Ling. This meant Ling was using his body more, and Greed wasn’t constantly antagonizing Ling’s friends. On the other hand, it meant he was also more nosy than usual. 

“Should I let you out so you can go do it face to face? Or would you like the wallow some more.”

_ You’re going to love Xing.  _ Ling said, diverting the conversation.

“Boring.” Greed said, “For a prince, you’re really damned boring.”

_ As a prince, I’m trying to do what’s going to save my damned boring family. _

“Hm,” Greed thought, “Boring.”

From a few meters ahead, Ed called, “You having a fight, Greed?” 

“Your prince is a real piece of work!”

“You bet he is!” Ed laughed, all smiles and golden hair. Besides Greed, Ed was in a great place too. He had even transmuted some fabric into his old red jacket and braided his hair again. 

Greed laughed and Ling was walking, his own feet moving according to him. “Thank you.”

_ Much obliged!  _ Greed said. 

“Hey, Ed!” Ling jogged up to him.

“Oh, Ling, good to see you.” he smiled. “We’re only about another day from home.”

Home, Ling thought. “Is your brother there?” he asked.

“If Al’s anywhere, it’s Resembol. And if he’s not, well, we have a few alys there.” Ed said, “Oh, man, Granny’s going to be so mad.”

Ling laughed, he hadn’t seen Ed so light hearted since- well, ever. “You’re in high spirits.”

Ed nodded, “Sure am. It’s gonna be so good to put this all past us.” he said. “And so good to sit on a train now and then instead of walking.”

“It’s going to be even better to have a hot meal regularly.”

Ed sighed, his eyes closing for a second, “Granny makes the best stew, you’re so lucky to be able to try it for the first time.”

“That good?” 

Ed affirmed, and went on to talk about Resembol, the houses, the fields, he talked about Winry’s shop, about their garden. Ling couldn’t imagine himself living in such a small town, away from civilization. He supposed he was just born for the cities, for people all the time everywhere. But when Ed talked about his hometown, the way that his lips turned up in the smallest of nostalgic smiles, it made Ling want to reject his nobility and start raising sheep. 

Ling laughed at his thought and Ed frowned, “What’s funny?”

“Oh,” Ling said, “I was imagining us as farmers.”

Ed chuckled, “Yeah, I guess we don’t really look the type, huh.”

“Greed would kill me first before I could even think about buying a chicken.”

“Let’s get matching overalls.”

“Stop-” he laughed, “And straw hats?”

“Oh, come on,” Ed said, “we’d weave them ourselves.”

Ling burst into snotty laughter, feeling much lighter than he had in forever. “Ed, when this is all over, come to Xing.” he said after calming down.

Ed raised an eyebrow, “You want me to?”

“Of course, you’d love it.”

“Are you trying to get me to work for you or something?”

He waved his hands, “No, no, but-”  _ I’d miss you _ , a voice said in his head that was distinctly not Greed’s. 

“But what?” Ed said, a half smile still hanging on his lips.

“Well, it’s a big country and you- seem like the exploring type.”

“Hm,” Ed said, “sure it’s not cause you’d miss me?”

Ling shrugged, “It’s probably a little of that too.”

Ed looked off ahead of them, his hands stuck in his pockets. He looked like he was thinking something, like he was doing some math problem in his head. “Alright.”

“Yeah?”

“Sure, I’d miss you too.” Ed bumped into Ling’s side as they walked. “When you become emperor, ring me up and we’ll tour Xing.” 

When he became emperor. What an asshole, making assured statements like this. But of course he would become emperor, of course he would. He was doing it for the most important things in his life, the safety of his family, his servants, his people and their way of life. And he was doing it for his friends.

 

…

 

Ed splashed his face with water. There was one last seven hour hike, and they’d be in Resembol. It was no longer truly night, but the beginnings of dawn had not shown themselves over the hills yet. It was a surreal purple sky that he stood under, by the creek that ran all the way into his hometown.

A frog croaked somewhere in the distance, and a twig broke about a meter behind him. Ed turned to see Ling, his shirt unbuttoned, and hair up in a high ponytail. He gave him a polite smile and washed his hands in the water. Ling kneeled down next to him and plucked a rock out from the stream. 

“Morning.” Ling said.

“Morning.” Ed replied.

“Big day ahead?”

“Yeah.”

Ling rolled the stone around in the palm of his broad hand. Ed took the pebble from him and squeezed his hand around it, then looked up. Ling was right next to him, watching him with a kind of pleasant smile that meant something to Ed after these months together. It was a smile that came when there was no guard around Ling, no threat of his shared headspace being taken over, no worries that they’d be attacked. What it was was Ling, at peace. Ed pressed the stone back into Ling’s hand, his own hand now slippery from the water.

Neither of them looked away as Ling’s hand closed around the rock again, or as the creek turned a soft lavender as it reflected the sky. 

“You’re gonna rule a whole country, huh?” Ed said, his chest tightening again with the feeling he had named discomfort. But it wasn’t, really. It wasn’t discomfort as he watched Ling as he said, “If I don’t, then we can’t go on our trip.”

It wasn’t discomfort.

Ling’s hand went to pass the rock back to Ed, but his wrist was caught by him instead. “Ed,”

“Yeah?”

“Do you-”

“Yeah.”

He laughed, clear and happy, and Ed leaned over, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Ed laughed back and Ling pulled forward, kissing him a little harder, more firm, smiling into the movement. He was light and sweet and perfect and all the times Ed had found himself wanting to know what he wanted made sense. He could see Ling laying down next to him, he could see the reflections in Greed’s eyes that were him, he could see the worry on his face before Ed opened the gates out of Gluttony.

He saw Ling. Ling saw him.

“Almost home.” Ed said, the rock gone from their hands.

“Almost home.” Ling affirmed, and day finally broke.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
